Motor-driven pick-up sweeper



M. V1 LIDDELL.

MOTOR DRIVEN P|CKUP SWEEPER'.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24. 1918.

Patented May 16, 1922.

TSHEETS-SHEET l.

M. V. LIDDELL.

MOTOR DRlvEN PICK-UP SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED 1ULYZ4, l918.

Patented May 16, 1922..

HEETS-SHEET Z.

El FQ HUIIMMUHHIIII www lVl. V. LIDDELL.

MOTOR DRIVEN PICK-UP SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1918.

Patented May 16, 1922.

Lll.

YSHEETS-SHEET 3.

M. V. LIDDELL.

MOTOR DRIVEN PICK-UP SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED IULY24, ISIS.

1,416,041, Patented May 16', 1922 TSHEETS-SHEET 4..

Nl. V. LIDDELI..

MOTOR DRIVEN PICK-UP SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED IIIIY 24, 1918.

1,416,041, Patented May 16, 1922.

Q (u 7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Patentd May 16, 192.2.-

YSHEETS-SHEET 6.

M VLadeZ Z.

M. V. LIDDELL.

Moron nmvEN P|c| uP swEEPEn.-

. APPLICATION FILED 1ULY24. 1918.

1y416,()41 Patented May 16, 1922.

TSHEETS-SHEET 7.

naires stares saisies,

MOSES VOLNEY LIDDELL, 0F HARVEY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AUSTIN MANUFAC- TURING CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MOTOR-DRIVEN PICK-U1 SWEEPER,

Llltli.

Application lerl July 24,

T 0 all 10710111. it may concern.' .p

Be it known that I` MOSES VOLNEY LID- DELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harvey, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Driven Pick-Up Sweepers, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to street sweeping machines of the type in which the sweepings are delivered by the broom to an elevator and b v the latter delivered to a receptacle in which they may be .collected unt-il conveyed to a suitable place of discharge; and particularly to a machine for performing these functions, which is embodied in a motordriven vehicle. ,K

The object of the invention is to provide mechanism of simple and substantial design which will perform the Jfunctions above named in an efficient manner even when operated at relatively high speeds and will properly relate the functioning of such mechanism to the forward progression of the machine and therefore, to the area covered; also to so mount such mechanism uponV the vehicle that the load will be imposed mainly upon and distributedin front and rear of the rear axle of the vehicle, leaving the forward part of the vehicle for the mounting of the propelling motor and thev various elements of control required for the motor and for the functioning mechanisms of the machine; and finally to construct the vehicle in a manner that will better adapt it for mounting and correlating the several functioning mechanisms and delivering to them the driving` power which they need.

In order that the invention ,may be fully understood, the' principles governing the general organization of the machine as well as the organization of the several mechanisms of which it is composed, will now be 'pointed out, and the details of construction of a machine embodying the various features lof the invention, and here selected for purposes of illustration, will be specitically described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation ofthe complete machine;

Fig. la is a detail view of forward ends o the inner and outer frames.

Fig. Q is a plan view ofthe same. Fig. 2l is a vertical section on the line 3 3 Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented May t6, 1922.

1918. Serial No. 246,437.

of F ig. 2, showing the rear portion of the machlne and the several parts thereof which enter into the sprinkling, sweeping and collecting functions thereof;

Fig. t is a plan View of the rear portion of the machine with the elevator and other mechanisms which project above the plane of the frame, removed;

Fig. 5 is a detail view of the elevator frame; n

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section in the plane of the sweepings receptacle, and looking toward the rear;

Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a front elevation and a side elevation of the sweepings receptacle together with the mechanism for Simultaneous control of its tWO pairs of dump, doors;

Fig. 9 is a detail view-of the automatically releasing connection between the upper elevator shaft and the sprocket which drives the same;

Fig. 10 is a detail view of one of the curb shoes which confine the s weepings at the ends of the broom.

General arrangement-The apparatus comprises a suitable frame or chassis F, mounted upon front wheels H through which the vehicle is steered in travel, and rear wheels, I, which serve the threefold purpose of sustaining the main load ofthe machine, pro pelling the machine and imparting drive to the several mechanisms which perform its various functions; a standard type of'motor housing M with steering wheel D and other elements of motor control mounted upon the Cforward part of the yframe; standard selective transmission, T, and drive shaft T extending rearwardly therefrom for propelling the vehicle; and receptacle R, elevator E, water suppy I with its pump P, and rotary broom l mounted upon the rear portion of the machine, together with the various mountings for these parts and their driving connections.

Driving cov'mectz'onspi'llhe driving connections consist primarily of the power shaft S1 connected by the differential drive T2 with the shaft T2 and having constant driving connections through sprockets I1, chains I2, and

sprockets I3 with the rear wheels; the main drive shaft or axle S2, upon which are rotae tively mounted the rear wheels I, but which is driven by said wheels through forward driving ratchets I4 whenever either wheel travels in a forward direction; stub shaft S3 (Figs. 3 and 4) receiving constant drive from main shaft S2 through the medium of sprocket S4, chain S5, and sprocket S", when- 5 ever the machine moves forward; and the counter shaft S7 adapted to be connected at will with the stub shaft S3 through the medium of the stopping, starting and speed changing gear T3 which is under control of 10 shift lever T4, rod T5 (Fig. 4) and hand lever T (F ig. l) near the driversseat; said counter shaft having at its ends sprockets B5 and E2 for driving the broom and the elevator respectively and at an intermediate point, a sprocket P2 for driving the Ipump as hereinafter described.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the subdivision of the drive connections as above described, into 2d a propulsion drive with its stopping, starting and speed changing elements controlling the locomotion of the machine and a functioning drive, or drivev imparted to the functioning mechanisms, such as broom, elevator 25 and pump, which results only from forward progress of the machine over the surface, which is continuous so far as the stub shaft is concerned, and extends beyond the stub shaft only at the will of the operator and then at aselected speed, and which, whenever transmitted beyondthe stub shaft, is delivered to all of the sub-mechanisms or functioning mechanisms so that there is nec` essarily simultaneous and properly related functioning of these co-ordinated mecha- Anisms which go to make up the the function- Xing `portion of the machine, i

ln order to distribute the load of these several mechanisms. mainly over the rear axle, the receptacle R- is mounted between the front and rear axles; theelevator E is provided with trunni-ons E1 at a point intermediateof its ends, on; its underside, and Anear the rear axles S2 so that the elevator lies above and across the rear axle, with its length extending downwardly' and rearwardly to a point near the ground so -that its upper end delivers forward of the'I main axle and into the receptacle while its rear end is'well to the rear ofthe main axle; the

water receptacle W -is mounted upon the yframe in rear of the elevator E with its cradles WL resting upon the side rails F astride of the elevator andleaving space Afor the latter to rise betweenthem; and the mountings ,for thebroom, comprising arms B1 extend from the counter shaft S4 located slightly forward of the -rear axle to a plane below the rear endof the frame, in order 60 to present the broom just beyond the rear lower end of theiy elevator, while sustaining the broom in a manner to minimize the/transmissionv of vibration from the vehicle tothe broom, and maintain proper relation between the broom and elevator, as the broom wears down in diameter, all as hereinafter explained in the detailed description of these several mechanisms. i

An important advantage arising out of the described distribution and relations of the several functioning mechanisms, and particularly the housings therefor is that the receptacle R, elevator housing E, and hood B14 ofthe broom B, afford a continuous roofing from front to rear, the position of the elevator housing, E, that extends between the receptacle and the broomhood, af fording an ample protected space beneath it, over the main axle and transverse beam, and forward thereof to receive operative'parts such as the pump with its by-pass valve and its driving and circulating connections, the counter-shaft and stub-shaft with the differential clutch between them, and the differential wheel drive and its shaft, while the tunnel or arch through the receptacle, afforded by its double hopper bottom to be described, affords access to such space for such parts as the auxiliary frame rails, the clutch rods, etc.

The frameln order to afford proper support for the parts distributed as above described, to insure a rigidbut light frame by which to bridge the extended wheel base, to provide an extended overhang at the rear to support the water tank and receive the lifting connections for the elevator and broom, and-finally to adapt the frame to receive the axle of the front steering wheels of standard track gauge and the axle of the rear mainv support and driving wheels having a track gauge increased to provide the necessary width of sweeping path, I have provided a special construction of frame the essentialfeatures of which are as follows:

Av main frame comprising longitudinally extending side rails F, spaced apart to afford the necessary width to accommodate the axial dimension of the broom and the corresponding width of elevator between them, and converging at F1 to reduce the distance between their front ,ends and provide parallel forward ends F2 that rest upon the axle cf the forward steering wheels H and at the same time afford-thenecessary sills for mounting the power plantM; also an auxiliary frame' comprising parallel longitudinal rails F3 of smaller dimensions than the rails F, secured at their forward ends to and lying in the channels of the forward parallel ends F2 of the main frame and extending rearwardly therefrom; and a cross beam F4 spacing the rear portions of the main side rails F apart, and receiving the rearends of the auxiliary frame members F3; said cross beams securely uniting the several longitudii ramon ting longitudinal thrust and lend lateral stiffness to the entire frame. Preferably the longitudinal rails are channel construction, the channels of the side rails being presented inwardly and the overlap-ping portions of the main and auxiliary frame rails being received onewithin the channel of the other at the frontend.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the rearwardly presented ends of the main side rails, and the transverse beam immediately forward of the elevator afford a well defined and rigid berth for the elevator which lies between and is protected by said rails, and mountings for the lifting connections through which the elevator and broom are raised from the ground when out of/a'ction. rlhe location of the elevator fulcrums well below its upper end, reduces the arc through lwhich its lower end swings, avoids interference with the broom in raising it, and reduces the labor required for manipulating its controlling lever.

W atar 8'uppZg/.-The water is supplied to the surface through a downwardly delivering jet pipe J under a head of pressure de" veloped by the pump P of sufiicient force to produce not merely a moistening effect upon the material to be swept up, but a penctrating and loosening` effect upon the dirt; that is to say a purely mechanical effect due to the force of the spray. In other words, the sprinkling function 1s developed in the form of a needle bath. The discharge of the spray is controlled by a valve J1 and its handle J 2with connecting rod J3, water being delivered at the valve J under a, constant head ,of pressure, through a pipe J4t leading from the pump P and said pump being constantly driven through a chain F1 connecting` the sprocket P2 on the counter shaft S4 with sprocket F3 on pump shaft P1. The circulating connections from the water supply through this pipe can follow the well-known plan of by-passing water back to the source of supply whenever the resistance at the outlet becomes excessive, as, for instance, -by shutting off the sur face spray.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the supply of moisture to the surface to be swept may be controlled at will by the mere manipulation of the spray valve lever J2. It will also be seen that the spray J is lo cated at theforward end of the machine and therefore so remote from the broom that time is afforded for the moisture to penetrate the material to bev swept up before it is reached by the broom.

Sweepz'ngs receptacle-The sweepings receptacle R is provided with a double hopper bottom R1, R2, (Figs. 6 and 7) in a manner to leave a central tunnel or archway R3 through which to pass the water supply pipe J4 and such other connectionsas may be desired and also to admit the supplemental frame F3. In the embodiment here shown the hoppers R1, R2, are closed at bottom by the pairs of twin doorsR4 but obviously a sack, barrel or other removable receptacle might be applied to each hopper in a manner well known in this art. The doors R1 are hinged at R5 and are controlled by chains RG passing through the thinibles RT beneath the doors and having their free ends so wound upon the shaft Rq that thel doors may be drawn tightly to their seats beneath the hoppers R1, R2, whenever the` chains are wound up upon the shaft, or they will be permitted to drop away from the hoppers and de )osit the contents of the latter whenever tne winding shaft R8 is released so that the chains may unwind. To bring each pair of doors under thecontrol of the chain with compensation so that both doors will be closed tightly although one door may reach its seat in advance of the other, each chain is doubled upon itself and has its middle portion anchored upon a bracket R9 at the rear of the receptacle, the free ends of the chain RG being attached to the winding shaft Rslin each instance. rllhus the portion of the chain beneath either door may yield if the door engaged by the other portion should first come to a seating and thus permit the winding action to continue until both doors are tightly closed. In order to compensate for stretching or wear in the chains of the respective pairs of doors, the brackets R9 may be made adjustable vertically s0y that both pairs of doors will attain the closed position simultaneously. ln order to control the winding shaft R8 it is provided with a ratchet wheel R10 normally held against unwinding by a dog R11 having spring R13, and pivoted at R12 while a lever R14 fulcrumed upon shaft R8 and carrying a hand controlled pawl R15,v is adapted by its normal oscillatory movement, to rotate the ratchet R10 and shaft RS to wind up the chains, but has aftoe R16 that encounters and unseats the dogRli whenever said lever is thrown down beyond its normal range of winding movement, thereby releasing the winding shaft land permitting the chains to unwind` and the doors to drop vand discharge the material within the hoppers. These features are not claimed herein, but are embodied -in a divisional application.

T he elevation-The elevator E is of the type having endless chains that carry crossbars with flexible tongues or blades scraping upon the surface'of the trunk or casing and so advancing the material to the point of delivery. Its essential features are the up` 'per and lower shafts E2, E3, securely framed in the spreader bars E* having bearings that receive the ends of the shafts and the struts E5 distributed at intermediate points and E2, and being confined between collars E9' that are fixed by set-screws E1o upon the shaft E2 in position to enclose the ends of ythe wrist couplings and resist the escape of the lubricant. Packings E11, interposed between overlapping portions of the wrist couplings and collars assist in confining the lubricant.` r1`he lower shaft E3 is not rotatable and accordingly its wrist couplings E7 are fixed thereon by pins E12, and the lower sprockets EI3 for the` elevator chains, E1, are made rotatable, and provided with the lubricant spaces E15 being confined by collars E2 similar to those which confine them wrist bearings on the upper shaft The 1' sprockets that receive the chains E14 upon the,...upper shaft, E2, are indicated at E16 and these being necessarily driven bythe shaft E2, are secured against rotaton thereon by the keys E17 and held against axial displacement by set screws E18. In

this manner, as the upper shaft rotates ints bearings in the side rods and spreading struts, it drives the spockets mounted thereon and the chains engaged by these sprockets while the lower shaft 1s fixedagainst rotation in the side rods and in the wrist bearings of the. spreading struts, but permits the lower sprockets to rotate upon it.

ln order to keepJ the chains taut in the elevator, each strut E5 comprises a tubular j member E19 that receives the Shanks E20,

E21, of the wrist bearings E5, EJ, and abut against shoulders E25, E24 thereon, Iand one of these shoulders, for instance the upper shoulder E24, is threaded for adjustment upon its shank E21 in order to change the length of the strut. Shanks E20, E21, are connected to their respective bearing members by means of knuckle joints E22 in order to avoid binding the .bearings E5 upon the shaft E2 under relative end movements of the shafts.

The side bar E4 carries hangers E25 and E2 at its lower and upper ends respectively of which the hanger E25x is provided with a seat E27 in which the reduced end vof .the lower shaft E3 is firmly secured, whilev the upper hanger E26 is formed with a yoke that receives a journal bearing E25 for the upper shaft E2, which bearing is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the elevator, through means of the upper and lower set screws E29, E50. The adjustment of the bearing E2s compensates for changes in the length of the chain in the same manner as does the adjustment of the lengthA of the intermediate struts.

The elevator further comprises a trunk E which is constructed with a trough E51 at bottom substantially concentric with lower shaft E5 and with a spoutV E52 at top which delivers into thie receptacle R. The trunk E is fixed relatively7 to the operating mechanism of the elevator by confining it laterally between the side bars E4 and permitting it to rest at top upon the journal bearings E28. At bottom it is supported by the angle bar E33 suspended by links E24 from the lower shaft E3 and these links are made adjustable in order to determine the distance of the lower shaft E3 from the trough E31 and thereby insure contact of the elevator blades or scrapers with the bottom of the trough and trunk.

The trunk E carries the trunnions E1 and these have their bearings in the yokes E55 .j

which are in turn secured to the side rails or channel beams of the main frame F, positioned to locate the loadr of the elevator forward of the axle S2, and therefore, as will be seen from Figure 4, forward of the crossy beam F? where `the frame is better adapted to sustain side thrust while leaving the lower rear portion of the elevator depending4 into the unobstructe space between the rear extensions of the main rails. Yokes E55 are spaced laterally outward from the sides of the trunk E and the trunnions are provided with upwardly and inwardly inclined stays E35 that are secured to the upper portion of the trunk E in a manner to insure lateral stability thereof. 1

In order to direct the sweepings'into the lower end of trough E21, aI pair of curb shoes E57, located at the ends of the brush, are pivoted at vvE32 on the lower end of the elevator, and extend rearwardly so as .to prevent the 'sweepings'being thrown outwardly. Between the shoes E37 is located a bafiie plat'e E28 which hangs down from the rear*4 edge of the trough E31 and so prevents the sweepings being thrown beneath the trough. This baffle plate does not otherwise co-act with the broom, the delivery of the` sweepings into the trough being by the throwing effect of the broom rather. than by its scraping upward over the surface of the baffle. The curb shoes E37 drag upon the ground. and thus receive Izonstant vibration, which, being transmitted tothe baffleplate E35, constantly dislodges any material that may be deposited upon the latter, so that 4such material again falls into the path ofthe broom, to be picked up and thrown over into the trough.

Raising the elevator-In order to raise with the lever E52 located within reach of the crank lever E, the

drivers seat. Ahorn E43 upon each curb shoe El", projects beneath the lower elevator shaft E3, with sufficient space to leave 'the shoe free for vertical vibration in dragging over the ground, but in position to arrest downward movement of the shoe beyond its normal limit and so insure lifting of the shoe with the lower end of the elevator, whenever the latter is lifted for transport.

Slip drive for eleccion-It sometimes happens in the operation of sweepers of this general type, owing to an excessive accumulation of material upon the surface to be swept, that the broom delivers to the eleva tor more material than the latter can dispose of and chokes the elevator to such an extent that continued application of driving power to the latter would subject the parts to breakage. ln order to avoid this danger, the sprocket E414 which receivcsthe chain E45 from the sprocket E1G on the shaft S4, has a slip connection with the shaft E2 which drives the elevator; said slip connection being developed through the medium of an ob-` tuse tooth ratchet E47 keyed to the shaft E2 and a pair of slip-pawls E1s, mounted on the sprocket E44, and held in yielding embrace upon the ratchet E47 through the medium of the bolt Emand its adjusting nut E51 acting through the spring E50.

The broom-The broom B is of cylindrical type, mounted between a pair of arms B1 and driven through chain B3 connecting the sprocket B4 on its shaft B2, with sprocket B5 on the counter shaft S7. Arms B1 carry bearings B6 at their lower ends 'for the shaft B1', and are hung at their upper ends by the bearing-hangers B1 which surround the counter shaft S1. Said a-rms may be longitudinally adjusted with reference to their hangers B1, by adjusting screws B8, and so determine the relation of the broom to the elevator, and take up wear in the chain which drives the broom.

Special importance is attached to the location of the support Sl1 for the arms B1 of the broom, with reference to the pointiof contact between the broom and the ground. and also with reference tolthe main axle S2. 1n the first place the angle at which the arms rest, and the length ofthese arms is such that they eliminate transmission of vertical vibration to the broom to the greatest possible degree and in the second place they direct the broom slightly toward the receiving end of the elevator as the splints of the broom wear down and the broom becomes of smaller diameter and of less flexibility, and compensate for its reduced capacity for throwing the sweepings into the trough E31. These structural conditions are especially important when the point S4 at which the arms are hung is above the main wheel and the driving sprocket, B5, is connected to the herein,

main wheel, through flexible connections such as one -or more chains, as employed as has already been described. lVhere the arms of the broom are mounted directly upon the main axle and the sprocket through which the broom is rotated is geared directly to a sprocket on the propelling wheel, not only are the vertical vibrations of the wheel transmitted to the broom, but the inertia of the transmitting connections and consequent lack of freedom of the arms to swing relatively to the wheels greatly ampliies the vibration thus transmitted, with the result that the entire machine must be operated at reduced speed in order to keep the broom from jumping from the surface and leaving portions unswept.

1n order to move the broom B vertically to and from sweeping position, arms B1 are connected by chains B with one end of a bell-crank lever B10. the other end of which is connected by rod B11 with the lever B12 within reach of the driver of the machine.

1 claim- 1. In a sweeping machine, inner and outer frames, each comprising longitudinalrails` a cross beam spacing the reaiyportions of said rails apart and leaving ends of the outer frame rails extending rearwardly beyond it, a sweepings receptacle mounted upon the forward portion of both frames, and an ele` vator mounted upon the rear portions thereof forward of the cross beam and extending rearwardly and downwardly into the space between the rear ends of the side rails and having its upper forward end in position to deliver to the sweepings receptacle.

2. 1n a sweeping machine, the combination of a frame having longitudinal main rails united by a cross beam at a point forward of their rear ends and leaving longitudinal portions projecting rearwardly beyond said cross beam, intermediate longitudinal rails extending forward from said cross beam, transmission connections mounted upon the frame forward of said cross beam, a sweepings receptacle mounted on the main frame and intermediate longitudinal rails of the frame forwardly from the transmission con` nections, and an elevator mounted upon the frame with its rear portion extending downwardly into the space between the rear portions of the main frame rails in rear of the cross beam and with its forward portion extending upwardly in position to deliver to ythe sweepings receptacle and overlying the vator comprising a ratchet wheel and a pair of pivoted pawls engaging said ratchet wheel and having means for yieldingly holding.

flexible elevating means mounted on said shafts, a frame for said shafts comprising side bars carried by the trunk 'and in which the ends of the shafts are mounted with relative adjustmentbetween them, and intermediate struts for spacing said shafts having wrist bearings in which said shafts turn and having means for adjusting them to determine the distance between-the shats; said intermediate struts having joints near their wrist bearings permitting flexing in the plane of the elevating means. Y

5. In combination with a sweeping machine, a sweepings receptacle, an inclined elevator trunk adapted to receive sweepings at its 'lower end and discharge them at its upper end into the sweepings receptacle,

upper and lower elevatbr shafts, an endless liexible elevating means mounted onsaid shafts, a frame for said shafts comprising side bars carried by the trunk and in which the ends of the shafts are mounted With relative adjustment between them, and intermediate struts for spacing said shafts having wrist bearings in which said shafts turn and having means for adjusting them to determine the. distance between the shafts; each port and projections carried by the curbA shoes adapted to engage the elevator to limit the pivotal movement of the curb shoe upon the elevator when the latter is raised.

-Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 16th day of July, 1918. s

MVOLNEY LIDDELL 

